SEATTLE — I’m a big proponent of the idea that teams don’t really play “must-win” games until they are facing literal elimination. That doesn’t mean other games don’t matter, just that you can’t fake the pressure of a literal “must-win.”
But Saturday’s home game against a porous Real Salt Lake defense was looking pretty darn close. And the Seattle Sounders most definitely did not win.
In a lot of ways, it was the same old story of the season. The defense plays well, the Sounders do a decent job possessing the ball in dangerous areas, take some dangerous shots, make one big mistake and are saddled with a loss.